A Hero's Legacy
by Rhyno Holter
Summary: 2 years since being THE FIRST FABLE STORY TO BE COMPLETED... and now with an additional chapter: a slightlyaltered ending! See the entire story from beginning to end! Please, R&R!
1. Prolouge

Prolouge. 

Sieg has been the greatest Hero in all of Albion. He won the Arena, killed Whisper, destroyed Maze,  
was captured AND escaped from Jack's prison, and killed Jack... just by scarring up his mask. So why couldn't he keep the Sword of Aeons? Because, even after only 7 years of his reunion, he can't kill his own sister. It's just not in him to do it.

He threw his own destiny, his own evil, down with the sword. And, for that Theresa owes her life to him.

Since then, Sieg has had many names. To his sister, he is just Sieg. To the folk of Albion, he is the Pilgrim. To bandits and Heroes alike, he is a wanderer. Everyone he fought, whether alive or dead, see him as the wielder of the Burnt Katana. But, for 13 years, he has had a new name, whom only one girl called him: Dad.

That's right. Not even a week had passed after the death of Jack, when Sieg was making a journey to rebuild the Heroes Guild, he found a little bundle, wrapped in a pink cloth. Attached to the cloth was a note from Theresa. It read: "Brother. I have no gift but this girl. Her name is Daniell. My last request is for you to take care of her. Theresa"

He picked up the bundle. It was light, and the girl in it was so beautiful...

There were so many questions he had to ask. Where did Theresa find the girl? What did she mean, "my last request"? But Sieg put the questions in the back of his mind, and took the baby girl with him to the Heroes Guild.

And for the next few years, he raised her as his own. She became the first Apprentice the Guild has had since Jack killed the Guildmaster. And, with regular visits from Thunder, she became a fine young warrior. At least, she was when she wasn't goofing off. She had gained her father's slimness, but at a young age, she could already carry her own weapon, a Greatsword (Sieg only had a stick when he was  
her age). But, she tended to goof off, wearing a pair of Theresa's old clothes and flirting with older, more experienced apprentices. He wasn't pleased.

But, she at least made progress. She was the most skilled in her class, using her sword faster than most could use their sticks. She wasn't good with the bow and arrow, but she learned one good Will power, her father's favorite, the Fireball.

Now, she and Sieg had lived at the Heroes' Guild for 12 years, and nothing bad happened. But on Daniell's 13th birthday...

"Mornin'," Daniell muttered, walking down the steps into the Map Room. SHe was wearing a pink nightgown. "Mornin'," she repeated. No reply.

"Hello?" she started to panic, because her father usually answered her by now, complaing that she had it easy, being the guildmaster's daughter, sleeping in, wearing whatever she wants. But, this wasn't right,  
there was no one here.

"Come on, Daddy," she yelped, "knock it off. Yer scaring me!"

"Child..." said a voice, a woman's voice.

"Huh?" Daniell followed the sound of the voice, and it led her to the kitchen. On the table, sitting there,  
was Theresa.

"Auntie Theresa! Where's Daddy?" Daniell demanded. Theresa turned her head to face Daniell...

But there was something wrong. Her eyes... she still had her eyes.


	2. The Demons and the Deal

The Demons and the Deal.

Theresa didn't have eyes... her eyes were carved out. This woman, whoever she was, still had her eyes.  
Even though her last visit was 3 years ago, Daniell could still picture Theresa, wearing the bandana over her eyes to cover it up. It's hard to forget what som eone with no eyes looked like.

"Imposter!" Daniell sputtered, and grabbed her Greatsword from the case in the Map Room. "Who are you!"

"It is me... Theresa," the woman said.

"No, lies! Theresa doesn't have eyes, my Daddy told me so!"

"I see you are not easily fooled," the fake Theresa said. "I am no one you would know..." She began to change... wings sprouted from her back... fangs grew from her mouth... she was a demon.

"... why would you pretend to be my auntie!" Daniell asked. The demon spoke in gasps and Daniell did not understand a word it said.

"Okay then. HYAAH!" she jumped up and swung her sword down. However, the demon was too fast for her, and, after dodgng the sword, kicked her with its clawed foot. She crashed into the wall and hurt her back. She stood up, and swung her sword to the left. The demon ducked, and teleported behind her. Its fingers were in the Will position. Without warning, its fingers hit her backside and she sprang up and hit the wall again. She tried to stand up, but couldn't.

"Damn..." she said to herself, "this thing's tough... already, I can't even stand up!" The demon came after her, closed her eyes, and braced herself for the final blow...

But it stopped. She looked up, and saw a whip wrapped around the demon's torso. With a CRACK,  
it flung the demon down on the ground, and with another CRACK, it whipped the demon, and with the force of a sword, cut the demon's body in two. Daniell smiled, and looked to see who the newcomer was.  
because whoever it was had to be a warrior of some sort... and she didn't want to be lonely again...

Holding the whip was a tall girl in an Apprentice uniform. Her hair was dark brown like Daniell's, but tied in a ponytail. She was better looking than Daniell, but had a longer nose, and was tougher than Daniell would ever be.

"Alannah," Daniell spat. Alannah was her rival, and was second best at everything else... she was also the coolest girl in her class, and was known for giving the cold shoulder to any boy who asked her out.

"Daniell..." Alannah said. She didn't even look worried.

"What are you doing here? Where is everybody? Where's my daddy?" Daniell yelled.

Alannah shrugged. "I would have thought they'd've come for you, seeing as how you're the Daughter of the Pilgrim..."

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN?" Daniell yelled, dropping the sword, and picking Alannah up by the robes.  
"WHO!"

"Beats me," Alannah said coolly. "All I know is they were supposed to be after Guildmaster Pilgrim,  
and he ran away to protect us. Most of us went after him... I suppose... we're the last two left."

"Ugh, yer no help, as always." She dropped Alannah and climbed the stairs to get her clothes on.

"I DO, however," Alannah said, "know where they went." Daniell stopped in her tracks. She looked down at Alannah.

"Where? WHERE!"

"I'll show you... however, I must accompany you." Alannah put her whip at her side, and continued, "because I need to get some renown in Albion."

"What?"

"Yes... you have a reputation here, being the best in class, and being the guildmaster's daughter and all.  
I don't have anything except this whip..."

"No way! I'm going on my own!" Daniell stormed up the rest of the stairs. "Besides, you're the coolest girl in class!"

"Only because I'm the only one with a whip, and even then, I'm not that good."

Daniell paid her no attention and slammed the door to her room shut.

A few minutes later...

Daniell came out in Theresa's old clothes. She wanted to attract as little attention as possible, though she doubted that would happen with the Greatsword on her back. She walked down the stairs, and Alannah's voice sounded, "Ah, you're dressed. I was ready to leave without you."

"I SAID YER NOT-" Daniell started, but didn't finish. A growling noise sounded from the shadows under the stairs. It was another demon. It was angry... and hungry.

"Run!" Daniell shouted, and drew her Greatsword. She slashed at the great demon, but to no effect. It merely bounced off the demon's skin. Alannah whipped at it, but it only made the demon angrier. It drew a breath, and started to breath out smoke. Alannah gasped for air, and Daniell's eyes were watering. She put her Greatsword back in its sheath, and put her hands together.

"I have... one shot at this..." she told herself. Her hands glowed red, and she spread her arms out in front of her. A red light came from her hands, and then a sheering heat came from the light. It was fire.

The demon's skin started to dissolve, and it let out a great shreak. Alannah had already picked herself up and whipped at the beast. It snapped, and the demon's body was cut in half. After a flinching noise,  
it started to change shape... it looked like another fake human...

"Damn things... they change shape to whoever we care about the most, I read," Alannah said.

"Oh, wow, that's REALLY comforting to know," Daniell said sarcasticly. "Alannah... you said you knew the way there..."

"Does this mean I'm coming along?" Alannah said hopefully.

"Yes... now, come on, I need to find my Daddy."

"Alrighty!" She opened the door to exit the Guild. "Let's go!"

The two left the Heroes Guild, and so the journey - and the legacy - began.

"By the way," Daniell muttered, "which way did they go?"

"Beats me."

"WHAT?" 


	3. Trouble in Bowerstone

Trouble in Bowerstone.

"You don't even know which way we're going! HOW THICK ARE YOU?" Daniell screamed.

Alannah pointed south. "They went that way, so I suppose the first place they'd go is Bowerstone."

"... were they bandits or something?" Daniell asked, sounding curious.

"Uh... no. They were mostly demons... but one of them was human, he had a black and red mask... with a big scratch on it. He wore a red cloak or something like that... and his sword was big, and pointy."

"Ah, well that narrows it down a bit. I suppose no one in Bowerstone will ever where that..."

"Hey, what's going on down there?" Alannah pointed to the town of Bowerstone. It looked like it was going up in flames.

"Hey, Heroes!" someone from the village screamed. "Help!"

"Erm..." Daniell scratched her head. "I s'posse we should help them?"

"It's our duty as Heroes to, yes..." Alannah started to unwrap her whip, "but seeing as we're still apprentices..."

"The only heroes left, mind you, besides my Daddy!" Daniell shrieked.

"Uh.. hello? Help, please!" the villager screamed from the village.

"WE'RE COMING," Daniell drew her sword and raced down to the village. Alannah shook her head unapprovingly, but follwed suit.

The inside of the village was worse than what you could see from the outside. Villagers were screaming, looking like human torches. Death was everywhere. Alannah looked around and saw a group of people attacking Lady Grey, mayor of Bowerstone. The leader was a handsome bandit.

"No, I didn't do it... it was Sieg, he killed Twinblade!" Lady Grey yelped.

"We don't care... last we checked, you and him were on good speaking terms, so if we want to draw this 'Sieg' out, we're gonna have to kill you," a handsome bandit with black spiky hair said.  
His hair was covering his right eye, and he had two daggers by his side.

"Daddy told me about him... about Twinblade... he was a giant of a man, and carried two blades, like him..." Daniell started.

"He's sooooo dreeeeamy," Alannah cut in. She wouldn't take her eyes off of him.

"Gr.. anyway, that was years before I was born... probably before he was born, too."

"If you don't want to talk..." the bandit drew one of his daggers, and readied to stab Lady Grey.

"NOT SO FAST!" Daniell shrieked, and charged at the handsome bandit.

"Not so fast yourself... remember the battle just 10 minutes ago? YOU'RE NOT READY," Alannah told her coolly. "Allow me..." She raised the whip, and brought it to the bandit's face, but it didn't make contact. It DID, however, scare him enough to drop his dagger and backup.

"See, it's all how you do it," Alannah bragged. You can do anything if you know HOW you do it."

"Oh, shut up."

"Ah... look boys... Lady Grey has given us two princesses," they bandit joked. "And look... one's a prostitute, carrying a whip!"

"Oh, shut up," Alannah stated, whipping it around, hitting one or two of the bandits, knocking them off their feet. They got up.

"HOW DARE YOU! Do you even know who we are!"

"Nope, and frankily, I don't care," Alannah replied again, and swung her whip around. She hit the bandits again, but with another swing, the whip snapped around one of the bandit's necks, and was starting to choke him...

But the handsome bandit raised one of his daggers up and cut the whip off of his throat. Startled,  
Alannah fell down in suprise. The bandit smiled.

"Nice to see some eager young Heroes try to stop us... we'll make you a deal." He smirked. "We'll let you live... if you tell us where Sieg the Pilgrim is... and give me a... LAP DANCE!"

"Uh... how about we'll let YOU live if you SHUT THE HELL UP!" Daniell raised her sword, and brought it down with a CLANG.

"Ah... noble to the end... you Heroes make me sick... you're no better off than Jack of Blades! He was bad, yes, but he killed my mother! And Sieg killed my father!"

"Daddy killed Twinblade long before you were born!" Daniell shrieked, while swinging her sword around.

"'Daddy'? So... you're the Daughter of the Pilgrim the bandits were talking about... tell me, where is your father now a days? Out killing more bandits, is he?" The bandit smirked.

"Twinblade was a criminal, and Daddy let Twinblade die of the wounds Daddy gave him!"

"You think so, huh? Well, if you truely believe that, I'll let you live in your own little fantasies for a while... but I will be back! I guarentee!" And he ran off, leaving the rest of the bandits with Daniell and Alannah.

"I suppose..." Daniell looked at Alannah.

"Yeah... I'm bored silly."

Daniell jumped up and swung her sword, catching two bandits off guard, cutting them in half. Alannah just whipped her whip around, striking anyone who came near, killing a few more people in the process.  
And, a few more strikes and cuts later...

"Sorry, Lady Grey. That's all we could find," Daniell said, her head drooping.

"It's... tis quite alright," Lady Grey seemed scared at the smallest things now. "Er... where's the young bandit with the long hair?"

"He got away," Alannah looked around. "Too bad... I was starting to like him."

"You don't like boys, you dump them!" Daniell playfully hit Alannah across the head.

"HE ESCAPED! GO AFTER HIM THIS INSTANT, HE THREATENED TO KILL ME!" Lady Grey screamed in Daniell's ear.

"Sorry, I need to find my Daddy, Sieg. Have you seen him lately?"

"No, but I saw him run south into Darkwood. That's the least I know..."

"Then, into Darkwood we go!" Daniell ran out of Bowerstone, and Alannah followed. Lady Grey sighed.

"May Avo be with you... and Sieg," she sighed.

Meanwhile...

"He's heading to Darkwood, eh?" the bandit smiled to himself. "Those girls will tell me all there is to know about this, and then I will go after Sieg myself... and kill him! Mwa ha ha ha!" He got up, and ran after Daniell and Alannah. 


	4. The Gathering and Seperation

The Gathering and Seperation.

Daniell and Alannah ran south, to Greatwood. And, through Greatwood was Darkwood. It was the quickest way...

"Look, there's the entrance to Greatwood!" Daniell screamed, pointing to the doorway.

"And, would ya look at that, here come some more of them demons too!" Alannah said, pulling her whip out.

Indeed, there were. There appeared to be two of them, flying at them in regular winged form.

"I'll take the one on the left," Daniell said, looking tougher than usual. "You take the one on the right."

"Err..." Alannah stopped, "which one on the right?"

The demons split into many different demons. Daniell was starting to panic. Alannah could see why,  
as she cracked her whip to destroy a demon nearly tackling Daniell to the ground.

"Huh... uh... DADDY! WHERE ARE YOU!" she screamed, finally falling to her knees. She started to cry.

"Daniell!" Alannah whipped another demon away. "Get up, I can't deal with this all by myself!"

Meanwhile, the bandit was hiding behind the rock, watching the battle from afar. Even though he was the leader of the bandits and his mission was to have revenge for Twinblade's death, he wasn't heartless.  
He felt her pain, being without a parent, even for a day, and being a teenager. He pulled his daggers out and...

"Hey, you dumb demons!" he yelled. "Come here!" He readied himself and hoped that he would draw the demons towards him. They did, and when they came closer, he jumped up. With his speed, it was a suprise that the demons could still follow him into the air just seconds behind him. He spun around, and yelled "TORNADO!" This was no doubt a Will power, as nothing else could gather the wind energy he gathered. And, he used that wind energy as he spun around, and...

Pieces of demons and their corpses fell out of the sky and onto the ground, startling Daniell. She jumped as the bandit landed in front of her, sheathed his daggers and didn't attack her, but came to her and asked her, "Are you okay?"

"Um, yeah..." she said, blushing lightly.

"STOP FLIRTING AND HELP ME!" Alannah had enough time to shriek as she fought off more demons.

"Come on, get up," he held his hand out, and she took it. They got up, and as she pulled her sword out, many questions arose in her mind. She swung her sword around, and struck the ground. The earth beneath her cracked, and the demons exploded from the force of the swing...

After a loooong half hour of fighting...

It was dusk, and demon corpses lie everywhere. A fire was in the middle of Greatwood Lake, and those around the fire were as strange a party as anyone. There was Daniell, the daughter of the Pilgrim,  
Sieg, Alannah, a rival of Daniell's at the Guild, and the bandit leader, who apparantly does have a heart. They were eating fried fish.

"Sorry about Bowerstone, girls," the bandit said suddenly. "I just... want to avenge my... father..."

"That's all fine and dandy, but can you tell me why you helped us out back there, and WHY you aren't attacking us?"

"Because... well, because I know what its like to lose a father, even for a day." He looked up at Daniell.  
Daniell smiled at him. He didn't smile back.

"Well, if you're gonna join us, thank you, we'll need all the help we can get." Alannah said.

"By the way, my name is Jing." He looked up into the sky. The stars were coming out.

Daniell stood up and walked by the Lake. Was it... was it this Lake she and her father walked by many years ago?

6 years ago...

"Daddy, daddy, where are we going?" Daniell has asked her father on her 7th birthday. "I want to go to the Guild as see the things they do, not spend a day by some stupid river--!"

"For your information, this is no ordanary 'river,' as you think. It was -- and still is -- the most beautiful river I've laid eyes on."

"I bet it's not as good as--"

She stopped talking. It was the most beautiful Lake, with the best sunset ever seen. No wonder so many people came here ever since Jack of Blades was killed.

Now...

"Hey, what are you looking at?" came a voice behind her. Daniell turned around. It was Jing.

"Oh," she said, turning her head slightly so her would see her blushing, "just... the sunset."

"Mind if I watch it with you?" he asked.

"Erm, sure." She sat down, and he sat next to her.

The sunset was so beautiful... and she was enjoying it with Jing, of all people...

Jing...

She woke up to a sound of shrieks, first a woman's, then a man's, pleading with her to wake up. Daniell opened her eyes, and saw a horde of bandits, swords raised. They were yelling at Jing.

"How dare you hang with this scum of earth!" one of the bandits said, pointing his sword at Alannah.

"My choices are what they are," he said calmly.

"But you swore revenge to her father, the wanderer, Sieg!" another bandit sounded.

"And, things change. I am no longer the leader of your little group."

"ATTACK!"

Daniell jerked awake, and grabbed her sword instinctly. Good thing she did, because three arrows were hanging out of the ground exactly where she was laying. She swung her sword, and cut three bandits in half. Jing was attack and blocking with his daggers, and Alannah was having fun, attacking and dancing at the same time. Daniell ran to her friends side, when more bandits -- no doubt the reinforcements -- arrived. Daniell was forced to run away, with Jing behind her. Alannah ran the other direction.

"Come on, Alannah, this way!" Daniell yelled to her friend.

"I'LL MEET YOU AT DARKWOOD, JUST GO!" Alannah yelled at the top of her lungs.

Daniell obeyed, and Jing followed suit, striking the a bandit in the neck, knocking him down. They retreated into a cave, and together, pushed a boulder in front of the entrance.

"There," Jing said, "that makes sure they can't get in!"

"And, now, we can't get out..." Daniell said. She was back on her knees, crying. "We're trapped,  
like rats... 


	5. Power of a Hero

Power of a Hero.

"I... sense them coming," a voice calls out into the darkness. It is a woman in the very cave Daniell and Jing are in. This woman is the same who is Sieg's sister, this woman is the one with her eyes carved out, this is the one he spared...

Theresa...

Meanwhile, with Daniell and Jing...

"It's over," Daniell weeped. She was curled up in a ball, sobbing next to Jing, who sat down next to her to comfort her. He looked serious and calm, and his dark eyes had some kindness and caring in them.

"No it's not," he said.

"It's my fault, if it weren't for me, Daddy would still be at the Heroes' Guild, if it weren't for me, Alannah would be with us, if it weren't for me--"

"SHUT UP!" Jing yelled, then covered his mouth. He takes his head away and thinks a bit about what to say next. He finally says calmly, "It's not your fault." He smiled. "You know what I hear? That the Seeress lives in this cave. The BLIND Seeress."

Daniell stops crying and wipes her eyes. "A Seeress? My auntie was a Seeress... And she was blind! Hey,  
I have an idea! MAYBE SHE CAN TELL US WHERE DADDY IS!" She stands up, totally renewed. She looks happily at him, and punches the air.

"Um, sure." Jing was trying to agree with her, since she WAS the only thing with him right now.

"Uh oh," he said, also standing up, holding on to his daggers.

"What?"

"Look over there," he says, still pointing. She looks over to where he's pointing. It's a deeper, darker part of the cave. At first, she can't see anything, then she stops them.

Demons.

"We can't run, so we have no choice... but to fight them!" Jing unsheathes his daggers, and Daniell,  
in union with him, pulls out her Greatsword. The demons, sensing danger, flee.

"That was easy," Jing remarks before an even bigger demon appears, and steps on him.

"Shut up and fight!" She puts her Greatsword up, holds her hands out, and yells "Fireball!" just as Jing hops up and slashes at the demons fleeing with a "Tornado". The giant demon didn't feel a thing, though,  
and stepped on Daniell.

"No!" Jing yelled, and run up to the demon. "You're just a handful, aren't ya?" He jumped up, and with his amazing speed, Daniell could hardly count how many slashes he did, but no matter what Jing did, the demon was never affected. The demon yawned, and swung at Jing like a fly or mosquito. He hit him,  
and Jing fell down next to Daniell. The demon walked up to them, and smiled. Daniell and Jing were about to be flattened by some random demon who isn't affected by anything...

Meanwhile...

"It is time." Theresa stood up. "They are about to defeat the demon. It is either now or never."

Back to Daniell...

"Jing, wake up!" Daniell tries to stir Jing, but fails. The demon comes closer, and there is no way to defeat him. Daniell, knowing her death is near, says sorry to her loved ones..

I'm sorry Daddy, for failing you, and not finding you...

I'm sorry Alannah for bringing you along in this mess...

I'm sorry, Auntie Theresa, for being such a nuisance to Daddy...

I'm sorry Jing...

Those were the magic words. Instead of continuing, thoughts in her head just disapeared. Her heart was beating slowly, as if about to lose its life.

Ba-dum. Ba-dum. Ba-dum.

She felt her hands clench into fists, but she couldn't control it. It was like she was losing her mind,  
and control of her body. Although she didn't feel it, her eyes turned from sky blue into blood red and her body started to expand its muscle size. She slowly stood up, and took her gaze from Jing to the gigantic demon in her way.

"Out of my way," she said, though her voice made it sound ten-times scarier, like two of her were speaking at once.

The demon looked down at her, and lifted its foot.

"You do, and I'll make sure it'll be the last thing you do. You've already hurt my friend," Daniell spoke in the same voice.

The demon acted like it didn't hear her, and stepped on her. His foot seemed to have killed her because it went a few feet into the ground. The demon smiled a bit before...

"HYAAAH!"

Daniell lifted the foot off of her and, with little effort, swung the demon a round in circles. As it started to get dizzy, she let the demon go. It burst through the top of the cave, and went right into the sun. The other demons, seeing her amazing power, chased after it... or running away. Daniell couldn't tell. All she remembered was the pain leaving her head, and Jing staring at her as if she did some amazing feat.

"Hey," she muttered calmly. "You alright?"

"I think so..." he said, getting up. He didn't look her in the eyes for a minute, then asked, "Where did that come from?"

"What come from?"

"That strength... that courage... where?"

"Honestly, I don't know what you're talking about!" Daniell crossed her arms.

"You don't...?"

"It's because... she may not be blood related, but her father loved her, therefor, passed her powers onto her," a voice came from the darkness of the cave.

"Who the hell are you!" Daniell drew her sword and Jing pulled out a dagger. He was bloody from the battle with the giant, but Daniell was hardly bruised.

"If you must know..." the figure came from the shadows. It was Theresa.

"The Blind Seeress..." Jing dropped his guard, and Daniell threw down her Greatsword and ran up to her aunt and embraced her.

"Auntie Theresa! We found you!"

"No time for hugs now, my dear," she said in a worried voice. Daniell let go. "Your father.." her face gave nothing away, but it seemed she was trying to think of a way to say what she needed to say.  
"Your father is in grave danger." 


	6. Theresa's Happy Ending

Theresa's Happy Ending.

"What?" Daniell asked her aunt. "I know that, that's why we followed him! He was kidnapped by all these demons!"

"Yes, Milady," Jing spoke in an uncomfortable voice. He seemed to want to be polite to this stranger whom Daniell already knew.

"No, you are wrong, my dear. You father ran away because he wanted to keep you out of danger. And all the apprentices, all the masters who followed him away from the Guild.  
are dead."

Daniell stood there, shocked. Jing was shocked too. The corpses behind them trembled a bit before lieing motionless.

"You mean... Daddy left because... he wanted to protect me?" The whiny Daniell was gone,  
and she was replaced with a dazzled, confused, even frustrated one. Sieg, her father, acted as though he didn't love her most of the time. He just wanted to train her, and for her to stop doing whatever this-and-that blah-di-dah-di-dah she wanted to do. In fact, the only time he even ACTED like her loved her was on her birthdays... except her 13th birthday... when he was kidnapped.  
was it only yesterday?

"Do not cry, my dear--"

"DON'T CALL ME THAT!" Daniell shrieked. She could feel the tears she hadn't felt before run down her cheeks. A flaming aura engulfed her. "HOW DARE YOU LIE LIKE THAT? BESIDES, YOU DON'T EVEN KNOW ME! THE real ME!"

"You're wrong again, my dear. It was I who found you, I who gave you to my brother. It was.  
my last request..."

"What do you mean, Milady?" Jing had found the nerve to speak again, even though his skin felt hot because of Daniell's aura. "I mean, what do you mean, by 'last request'?"

"Ah, now I' m glad you asked that," Theresa smiled. The old woman was gone, and for a moment, Daniell thought she saw the young girl she saw in that demon earlier yesterday morning.

"It was a prediction I made... a prophecy, you might think. I AM a Seeress, after all... you wish yo hear the prophecy?" The others nodded, though Theresa could tell they ment yes, even if she WAS blind.

"Very well..." She put her hands out

"'Love, the power of one.  
Hate, the power of her love.  
Anger, hate may bring.  
Suffering, she will not give.  
Salvation, the daughter of the Pilgrim.  
Give in, or it will be too late.'"

"Is that all?" Jing said suddenly when she said the last line. "THAT was way lame! I thought it'd be cool, like what Daniell did!"

"Um... Auntie Theresa?" Daniell sort of whispered. "What did that mean?"

"It meant... well, I'm not exactly sure. But I AM sure that Daniell, who this is about, can figure it out on her own."

"Alright." Daniell closed her eyes. She was no longer angry, she was curious. If anyone else had the emotion span she had, they'd blow up, or throw up. Either way, she was trying her hardest to figure out the prophecy...

"The first line... means the power of one is love," she said. Jing was pacing before he stopped and laughed, "That's a bit obvious, don't you think?"

Daniell flushed. She was proud of herself for figuring that out, though the rest of it was unsolved.  
She closed her eyes again and thought... thought... thought...

"I believe the second line means that hate is what I get from love, and anger is what I give in their hate." She had remembered all those times when someone picked on her for being Ms. Lovey Dovey, and she was angry because they hated her, she felt like she was going to explode.

"Good, good... they may not be exact meaning, but they are close enough. Now, continue..."

"Well, the fourth and fifth line line of course mean I won't torture people, but that I will be a savior... like Daddy was to you..."

"And I have to give in, or it'll be too late..." Theresa finished. "I believe it already is too late, but I will still give in."

"To what?" Daniell looked -- and sounded -- stunned. Theresa ignored the tone of her voice.\

"Daniell, listen to me. Your father is in danger. Have you heard of Jack of Blades? Well.  
he's back. When your father threw the Sword of Aeons into the abyss, it met Jack in Hell,  
and he must have used it's unlimited power to open up a portal to unleash its demons upon this world. I don't think Sieg can last, but you -- daughter of the Pilgrim -- have the power to beat it, you and your companions, Jing and Alannah -- yes, she's still alive -- together,  
you can beat it!"

"But... what if..." Daniell was about to tell about the power that overcame her and helped her beat the demon, but Theresa smiled.

"That's what this old hag is for... now, I ask that you hold still..." she held her hands out again.  
a silvery, crystal-like light came from her heart, and with a little effort, she pushed it into Daniell's heart. A rush came into Daniell, like a heavy burden lifted from her heart.

"Promise me... Jing... that you won't kill Sieg... Daniell... your father's life... is in your hands..."

Theresa lay her head on the rock she sat on, and died. 


	7. Final Battle, part 1

Final Battle, part 1.

Daniell stared at Theresa. The last of her kin. Emotions -- sadness, sorrow, dispair -- swept through her, like a beast killed its prey. She knew, though, that time was not really on her side. She ran, and with Jing following her, she left the cave through the hole in the top ("Did I make that?" she asked Jing as he lifted her up through the hole). After a little searching, they found Alannah, laying down, a bunch of split demon corpses around her. Daniell fell to her knees, and grabbed Alannah by her long, long hair.

"ALANNAH, WAKE UP!"

Daniell pulled Alannah's hair, and instantly, Alannah woke up. And boy, she was in a bad mood!

"WHAT THE HELL, DANIELL! WHEN I WANT TO WAKE UP I WILL!" She gasped a few breaths of air, she finally looked at her surroundings, and for some strange reason, she seemed suprised.

"What's this doing here?" she questioned.

"What! But... we thought you got them..." Jing was speechless. He thought Alannah had caused this carnage. But... there was something different from the area that wasn't there a while before...

"What do you remember then, Alannah?" Daniell asked.

"I remember you two going in them cave... um... someone pushing a boulder in front of the entrance.  
and when they couldn't reach you, they surrounded me... and knocked me down... and... err... and.  
and... sorry, I don't remember anything else."

"Well, unless you can transform into a hulking warrior like me," Daniell said proudly, "I think we should investigate."

"Yeah... wait. What?"

"Err... I'll tell you later."

"Guys," Jing interupted, "we REALLY need to stop fighting. Look... no, up there... there's someone up there..."

Daniell and Alannah looked up. Jing was right, there was someone up there... but... he was with someone. A familiar someone... with black hair... a Dark Will User's robe... and a strange katana with burn marks...

"Daddy!" Daniell yelled as soon as she recognized him. "Guys, it's my dad! What's he doing way up there?"

"Sieg!" Jing reached for his daggers, then remembering Theresa's request: don't kill Sieg. But, Jing had to do something. This rage flared, and he wanted revenge... but he had feelings for Daniell, and though she was 3 years younger, he wanted her to be happy. He let go of his daggers and stood up straight.

Sieg had a different view of the situation. "Daniell, run!" He couldn't move because he was being held on to, but I'm sure if he could move, he'd push her away from the danger. But...

Alannah spotted who was holding onto Sieg. "Guys, look who's got him! I... don't believe it... I've only seen his image in a book of evil heroes, but... I never thought he existed..."

"Who!" Jing and Daniell shouted in unision.

"JACK! IT'S JACK OF BLADES!"

Jing looked up. "No, it can't be..."

"It... it's him! Theresa was right!" Daniell shrieked and pointed. Jing had no choice but to believe if his friends believed. He looked up at him... and they were right.

He wore a mask of red and black, and had a hooded cloak on. It was hard to see much else of him,  
but just the way he stood -- or, floated, in this case -- the way his mask was attached to his face,  
it was enough to send goosebumps down your spine. And the sword in his hands... it was very large,  
and very powerful by the looks of it. And... yes, there was a scar about halfway through his mask.  
It was the finishing touch of a devilish appearance.

"Now... at last, my revenge is complete... I thank you for throwing the Sword down into the Abyss with me, and as soon as I conquer you, the Abyss and all of Albion is mine!" Jack said in his manically calm voice. He brought the Sword of Aeons up to Sieg's neck and slashed it. Blood trickled down the blade.

"And, with the Blind Seeress dead, the Sword of Aeons is twice as strong as before! Mwa ha ha!"

He dropped Sieg's body, and Daniell ran and caught him. Tears were running down her face. Meanwhile,  
Jack pointed the Sword to an area with nothing there, and created a portal. He went inside, and Alannah jumped up and chased after him. Jing took a step, looked back at Daniell and asked, "I'm sorry he died,  
but now we've got more important things to handle!"

Ba-dum. Ba-dum. Ba-dum.

"Come on, Daniell, we've got to go!"

Ba-dum. Ba-dum. Ba-dum.

"DANIELL!"

"He's going to pay... I swear it..." she spoke in the voice he heard her say earlier, when she was fighting the giant demon. The same voice that sounded as if two Daniells spoke at once. She slowly raised her head, and her red eyes glowed. "I... swear... IT!" She drew her Greatsword, threw it away,  
and grabbed her father's Burnt Katana.

A burst of power surged through her, and she leaped into the portal (with Jing holding onto her shirt.  
As she dropped into the portal, she saw Jack a good distance away, laughing. A sound behind her told her that the portal was closing.

Jack laughed, and said, "The Abyss will be a good place for your demise! Mwa ha ha! But, why stop there? I believe I'll kill you with my mask off!"

He took his scarred mask off... and a face that only a mother could love was in its place. His eyes were red, and his face had so many scars on it, it was hard to tell where his nose and mouth were. He smiled dimly, and said, "Ah, that's better. It's been sooooo long, I can't believe I finally get to breathe real air again! Ha ha ha!"

Daniell held her sword out, ignoring the obvious transformation, and yelled, "YOU MONSTER! YOU KILLED MY DADDY!"

She charged Jack, her father's sword in hand. 


	8. Final Battle, part 2

Final Battle, part 2.

Jack brought his sword up just in time to block her frantic attack. Daniell's fury, anger, her powers had controled her, and had gotten twice as strong with Theresa's upgrade. He brought the sword down across and slashed at Daniell, giving her a tiny scratch on her arm.

"You want to know how I returned, do you not?" Jack asked out of nowhere. Daniell, paying no attention,  
lowered the katana and held her other hand out. She yelled, and the earth at Jack's feet trembled. Another yell, and it cracked. One more yell, and the earth gave way. Jack fell into oblivion... but arose right behind her.

"It's all because of you, my dear, sweet Daniell," he said, raising his blade. He brought it down, but Daniell parried. She slashed at him, and he again raised his sword in time.

"This isn't fair play!" Alannah screamed. "He's just toying with her... he knows what she'll do before she does it, because of that stupendous transformation..."

"I see what you're saying," Jing stated, "but what can we do? If we stay over here, we won't be able to help at all!"

"Exactly... if he keeps talking, he'll eventually leave his guard down, and that's when we strike!" Alannah cracked her whip, and Jing pulled a dagger from one of its sheaths.

"If--Theresa--had--not--predicted--this--it--might--not--have--happened!" Jack muttered between breaths.  
Though he wielded the Sword of Aeons expertly, it still took all off his strength to stay equal to his 13-year-old opponet's flurries.

"What do you mean?" Alannah called from where she stood.

"Ah... now, you know the fact that she is all-knowing?" Jack dropped his guard, but only by an inch.  
"Well, you also need to take note that because she is all-knowing, she has the power to see the future.  
but if she wanted too, she could alter the future to the way she desires it..."

The real Daniell took control again. "What?"

"Yes... although I doubt she wanted this to happen, though, the fact that I escaped the bloody Abyss with the Sword reached her, and try as she might, she could not alter it. So, she waisted all her energy in you, and gave you this unusual ability to empower yourself, just like your father before you."

"SHUT UP!" Daniell swung it again, and again, Jack swung his sword expertly to block it.

"Yes... and now, to the dramatic ending... SOUL PUNISHER!" He swung the Sword of Aeons, and the ground of the Abyss cracked, and a great light surrounded Daniell. After a flash, it pushes Daniell back, and she landed on her butt.

"NOW JING!" Alannah rushes forward, and wrapped her whip around Jack's neck, seemingly choking him. Jing pulled out the other dagger, ran forward, and before he could slash at Jack, Jack kicked him. But, it went right through him...

"The After-Image... do you like it?" said a voice behind him. A sharp pain entered Jack's back, and for a moment, it looked like he'd gotten him... but the wound slowly, but surely, closed. It was nothing more than skin, looking untouched.

"Is that all? I was expecting a REAL attack... hmph, it's what I get for over-estimating you Heroes.  
SOUL SHIELD!" An orb of light surrounded Jack, and he pushed the two onto their backs. He raised his sword, and swung, but didn't hit. Instead, the tip of the blade touched the tip of Jing's nose, and Jing could feel the blood trickle down his nose. But, a girl yelling brought Jing's torture to a halt.

"NO YOU DON'T! HYAAAH!" Daniell was back up. She was a little bruised, but other than that, she was fine. She swung her sword across, but Jack had jumped up a little too fast for her. He landed on his feet, and started laughing.

"Now, that I have all of your attention," he laughed, "the rest of my story! You can blame your father for my return as well!"

"You bloddy ass, I won't believe you! Your mind tricks won't work on me!" Daniell tried to move, but something was keeping her as still as a statue. Jack's eyes were not red anymore, but as bright as a diamond.

"YOU WILL LISTEN TO ME... after all, this is the only way you'll get to live longer, isn't it?" He laughed at his own joke, and continued. "It is true, though. If it weren't for your father, you'd either be a spoiled brat daughter of a killing machine, or an orphan learning the ways of Seeing. You see, your father was so strong... that all he had to do was go Berserk, use a Ten-fold powerup, and scratch my mask to kill me... but, that was his first mistake."

"His second mistake was not killing Theresa. He had the Sword of Aeons in his hand, he felt its power.  
and if he wanted to save the world, he should have killed her! But, he threw the damned sword into the Abyss, to wander with me for the rest of eternity... he couldn't kill his own sister, and therefor overcame the power of the sword."

"His final mistake was taking you in as his own. He was just sooooo lonely, having killed Whisper and Maze, and watching his master die, he just wanted some company. But, if he had resisted you, he would have defied Theresa's prediction of me coming back to life!"

"How is that a mistake?" Daniell asked.

"Because if he'd left you to die, you wouldn't be dealing with this pain now."

He raised his sword and moved from defense to offense. With ever swing, with every blow, with every strike, Daniell's father's sword cracked more and more. Though she had gained much from this power-  
up, it still took all she had to block his attacks, until she was forced to power down.

Her heartbeat speeded up until it reached normal level. Her muscles got smaller and smaller until they were back to their original size. Her eyes turned sky blue again, and her voice was calmer.

"Uh oh..."

Jack came and hit her in the face with his elbow. As a result, she fell back and skidded backwards a couple of feet. She was bleeding from her cheek, and was bruised a lot. Jing had a bloody nose,  
and Alannah's arms were so bruised, she couldn't move them. Jack stepped forward towards them,  
and they tried to move back. When they couldn't move at all, Jack smiled at them.

"Yes... now my revenge is complete, Theresa's prediction failed! Mwa ha ha! All this time practicing with the Sword of Aeons, trying new techniques, killed and stealing and eating soul after soul after soul, torture beyond torture in the greatest of flames, even killing Skorm himself! None of it compares to this one moment, the moment I kill all three of you, and bring the Sword of Aeons to its maximum power!"

He raised the Sword up, and it appeared as if he was savoring in his moment of triumph.

Daniell raised her head. Jing wasn't as injured as the other two, but considering all he's been through emotionally, it's amazing that he went on this long. And Alannah... she looked as if she was about to cry. But, she shouldn't feel sorry yet... pretty soon, she'd have her renown... she'd be one of the last people to fight Jack of Blades and actually stand a chance... And, Daniell herself... she had put her faith in her father, Sieg, the greatest of Heroes, and failed. When he had died, she had no hope left. She... was alone.

"Time to die!" He brought the sword down...

Wait... I'm never alone... Daniell thought quickly. My father is always with me... he is with me in spirit... So there's still a chance after all..!

Feeling her father's strength within her, she felt her muscles tense again, her eyes pained as they glowed red, and she spoke in the same two-as-one voice. "SUPERNOVA!"

Jack's sword was being surrounded by a blueish-gray swirl, and Daniell had a red force-field guarding her. The two met, a bright light followed, with a yelping sound coming from the light. The light engulfed both Jing and Alannah, as well as the enitre Abyss... then nothing more. 


	9. Epilouge

Epilouge.

Daniell looked into the bright hot sun. It had been nearly 6 weeks since the battle with Jack, six weeks since her father, the Pilgrim, Sieg, died, six weeks since she had turned 13. But now she had a new name. She was no longer Daniell.

She was the Bladecatcher.

It was corny, sure, but Daniell thought it described her, especially since her battle with Jack.

You see, after the explosion, a smoke engulfed Jack and Daniell, and it was almost Daniell's undoing.  
Jack brought the Sword of Aeons up and the sharp edge of the blade touched Daniell's neck. Daniell tried to push it away with the Burnt Katana, but to no avail. Jack laughed at her, saying "Oh, now you've done it! With your power pushed to the limit, killing you will perfect the Sword of Aeons, and I will rule the entire physical universe! Mwa ha ha!"

Daniell knew there were two options, she wasn't stupid. She could stand still, and die, hoping that Jing and Alannah would survive, hoping they would bring back more Heroes to do battle... or she could try, could attempt to stop the attack with her bare hands. She dropped the Katana, and readied herself for the attack.

He swung.

She held her hands out to catch it...

SWISH!

CHING!

"Wha!" Jack said when he saw that his sword, the greatest sword in history, the Sword of Aeons,  
being blocked by the bare hands of the daughter of his worst enemy.

"IDIOT! I'LL CUT YOUR HANDS OFF!"

Ba-dum.

"Ha ha! This is it! THE END OF THE HEROES!"

Ba-dum.

"No.. this is it, alright... though, it's the end of YOU, not me..." Daniell looked at the Sword she held in her hands, and let her red eyes look at Jack's ugly, scarred face. In an instant, she pushed the Sword forward. The Sword left Jack's hands, and the hilt hit his throat, paralyzing him, knocking the wind from him. He tried to grab his throat, and pull the sword away, but he was paralyzed. He was floating in death... he was drowning in it... he died.

He fell down, and his body turned to ash. The ash... blew away... and even when they were in the Abyss, another hole opened up... a hole that could put the Sword of Aeons into a place where no one could retrieve it. Daniell picked it up, and threw it down into the endless pit.

Though Daniell couldn't remember it very well, she knew that she took her father's body, along with her friends, and buried her father in a grave near the Heroes Guild. Her friends, along with her, became the new masters for the school.

Jing... well, what is there to say about Jing. Once a thief, always a thief. Though it cut low on the stealing,  
he occasionally picks a pocket or two from passerby. He is now one of the three new masters, and is known as the Bandit King. He is the master of Will and Skill, but is the teacher of the Will.

Alannah got her wish. She earned great renown for being one of the ones who helped defeat the resurrected Jack of Blades. She is the the only Hero with a whip as a weapon. She is a master in Skill, because she is one of the fastest.

And Daniell... she's the master of Strength. She puts her father's sword up in display, and tells the young-  
lings and younger students about his many adventures...

Even though they are young, they are the greatest Heroes in all of Albion.

But the adventure isn't over... being a Hero is more then just fun and games... they haven't just continued the age-old tradition, started by the original Guildmaster Baltanders, from hundreds of years ago...

They have continued the legacy...

A Hero's Legacy... 


	10. Epilouge 2: Slightly Altered Ending

Epilouge 2: Slightly-Altered Ending.

Many weeks, many months later...

Daniell stood on the front-steps of the Guild of Heroes, herself looking into  
the bright sun. It didn't hurt her eyes... she was stronger than she used to  
be. She no longer needed to depend on her father...

Because he wasn't there anymore.

Sieg's funeral was short and sweet, as was Theresa's. The two were buried next  
to each other, just as they would have wanted.

Buried in the garden of Heroes, where only the greatest of Heroes were put to  
rest.

Daniell looked away from the sun. Starting today, even more Apprentices  
that the previous month would come, and she and her fellow masters would  
have to be ready for the little ones... ready to receive them, ready to  
teach them, ready to train them.

Just as her father had done for her.

You see, after the battle with Jack... well, I am getting a little ahead  
of myself.

Let us flash back a little ways into the past...

Jack's sword was being surrounded by a blueish-gray swirl, and Daniell had a  
red force-field guarding her. The two met, a bright light followed, with a  
yelping sound coming from the light. The light engulfed both Jing and Alannah,  
as well as the enitre Abyss... then nothing more.

The Abyss was being ripped apart from the inside-out, warping every which way.  
It seemed that time itself was attempting to rip everyone from existence.

But to Jack, this was the perfect time to strike.

Jack swung the Sword of Aeons again, this time for Daniell's neck. Daniell,  
with her red eyes, followed the movements of the Sword and attempted to  
block the strike with the Burnt Katana. She moved her sword just in time,  
and successfully countered the strike. But no matter how hard she tried,  
she could not push the Sword of Aeons away.

Jack's evil, disgusting face twisted into a smile.

"Yes... focus all of your anger... for if I kill you while you are in this  
state... in THIS place... oh, I'm quite sure the Sword of Aeons will be  
complete at last!!"

Ba-dum.

Even in her state of mind, Daniell knew there were two options. Even at full-  
power, if she stayed still trying to block the Sword, eventually her strength  
would fade... and she would die in vain. Jing and Alannah were on the other  
side of the ever-changing Abyss... there would be no one left to even  
try and challenge Jack.

Or she could try and fight back. Yeah, that's what she would do. She wouldn't  
give in to death that easy. In her mind... she began to formulate a plan...

Jack pushed the sword even more. He was GOING to win, he was GOING to  
kill this being, this girl, the last thing that Sieg ever loved.

In an instant, in Jack's over-confidence, Daniell pushed the Burnt Katana  
away, forcing Jack to back up in order to hold on to his own sword. With Jack  
backed up, Daniell launched a kick at Jack's hand, and just as she planned,  
the Sword of Aeons was knocked into the air.

Jack (in a moment of weakness) lost his temper with this, and with his hands  
he attempted to grab Daniell's neck and choke her, strangle her. To fight back,  
she kicked both of her legs out at Jack, knocking him backwards. Daniell,  
more graceful than before, did a backflip, landing on her feet, and then simply  
reached out and grabbed the Sword of Aeons as it fell.

The last thing Jack ever saw were those red eyes...

Daniell rushed forward, and with one powerful stroke, lopped of Jack's head.

Jack's remains turned to ash in a matter of moments as the Abyss began to  
warp even more out of control. Daniell looked for Jing and Alannah and was  
surprised to find that they were only a few feet away... but they refused  
to come any closer to Daniell.

And then Daniell knew why.

Jack's blood had touched the Sword of Aeons' blade. That was it, that  
was all it needed.

Sieg.

Theresa.

Jack.

All of them had died within the last hour or so... and they had given the  
Sword of Aeons the power that one death alone could not.

A hole appeared in the Abyss... intending for Daniell to throw the Sword  
away, away into a place where it could never be retrieved again...

But the power... Daniell had never felt power like this before..

I can't, she thought. I can't just give power like this away...

She looked at Jing and Alannah... and an evil smile crept upon her face. She  
lifted the Sword, as if to strike...

Ba-dum. Her eyes, blood-red, looked at them... hungry for power...

Ba-dum. Her hand trembled as she held the Sword high above her head.

Ba-dum. She knew what she wanted to do.

She threw the Sword into the hole, to rest forever away from the evil that  
created it, the evil that empowered it. No one could retrieve it out of the  
endless pit now...

Daniell blinked. Remembering that day... was painful...

But it wasn't the past she should think about.

She was a master, one of the three new masters of the Guild of Heroes.

Jing... well, not much to say about Jing. Once a thief, always a thief. Though  
he cut it low on the whole stealing thing, he'll still occassionally pick  
a pocket or two. He was, now, the King of Bandits after all. However, he  
only did it for the needy, unlike Twinblade.

Jing was the master of the Will at the Guild.

Alannah got her wish. For taking part in the great battle (not a great part,  
but a part nonetheless), she earned quite a bit of reknown. The only Hero known  
to carry a whip, she would forever be known as the Khameleon for her ability  
to change attitudes and battle plans, even in the heat of battle.

Alannah was the master of Skill at the Guild.

And Daniell... the Bladecatcher. Master of Strength. She may have been the  
greatest Hero alive, but she would not forget to honor those from the past.  
She put her father's Burnt Katana up in the display in the main room, and  
the younglings and the Apprentices would, every night, request her to tell  
stories... stories her father told her when she was their age.

Even though they were young, they were the greatest Heroes in all of Albion.

But the adventures, the Quests would never be over. Being a Hero was more than  
just fun and games. They haven't JUST continued the age-old tradition from  
hundreds of years ago.

They have continued a legacy.

A Hero's Legacy.


End file.
